Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a control apparatus for an autonomously navigating utility vehicle that autonomously navigates and performs lawn mowing and/or other tasks in a working area delineated by a boundary wire.
Description of Related Art
Among conventional control apparatuses for such an autonomously navigating utility vehicle are known ones that use a pair of sensors to detect magnetic field strength (intensity) generated by electric current passed through the boundary wire in advance and drive the utility vehicle within a working area including a narrow area based on difference between sensor detection values (see International Publication 2012/044220, for example)
In this regard, to enable the autonomously navigating utility vehicle to carry out work efficiently in the working area, it is necessary to ascertain the condition of a travel route and autonomously drive the utility vehicle in a manner suitable for the route. However, the control apparatus described in the reference merely drives the utility vehicle through the narrow area based solely on the difference in the values detected by the pair of sensors without ascertaining the condition of the travel route, so that it is impossible to efficiently carry out work in the working area with the control apparatus set out in the reference.